NACLO or the China Route? Which National Linguistics Olympiad Path You Are Actually Eligible For (2026-2027)
There is no direct entry to the IOL. You qualify through a national olympiad first — and which one you may enter is decided by citizenship and where you are enrolled, not by how good you are at puzzles. Here is the eligibility fork, the two-round NACLO structure with its real numbers, and what each group should do instead of guessing.